Markets and Democracy Briefs

Markets and Democracy Briefs are published by CFR's Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy initiative. They are designed to offer readers a concise snapshot of current thinking on critical issues surrounding democracy and economic development in the world today.

In this Markets and Democracy Brief, Judith Kelley examines the achievements, shortcomings, and drawbacks of international election monitoring, arguing that it merits both enthusiasm and healthy skepticism.

In this Markets and Democracy Brief, CFR’s John Campbell and Asch Harwood note the potential dangers of elections in weak and divided African countries, but they urge continued U.S. support for elections because Africans themselves embrace them.

In this Markets and Democracy Brief, Shannon O'Neil charts the progress of Mexico's economic and democratic reforms. She sees grounds for optimism on both fronts but concludes that Mexico risks falling behind unless it redoubles efforts to overcome its authoritarian past.